First of all I ask you to cross your fingers tomorrow 12:00 CET for I am having an exam in macroeconomy that time. ATM I am studying I just took a short break to post. I can’t really concentrate for long periods I am much better when I study and then do somehting else.

Yesterday I took the time to read Ragnar’s journal. Maybe it is better to read a journal on a daily basis but firstly I cannot be sure he posts and secondly I don’t always have the time to check. So I sort of digest-read his journal about once a month. It is always interesting though. I pretty much look forward to his New Year post. Last year I very much enjoyed reading about his oaths.

I have plans for some longer posts about specific topics but they won’t happen until the exam period is over. I also owe some posts from the past which can happen in January as well due to my increased free time. (No lectures and – if I pass – no exams either.)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was published in Hungarian lately. It has a cool dark blue cover. Hunagrian editins have different covers form the English ones. The publisher does not copy-and-translate the cover and I think it is good. All the previous Hungarian covers have been beautiful and book V’s is no exception. As for the text it was weird to read it in my mother tounge as I always read HP books in English and I am more used to them in English by now. The translation met my – very high – expectations. Everything was in order and everything matched the previous books. The translator was wise enough to put in an extra sentence to the ‘meeting with Cho under the mistletoe’ scene explaining the British/American custom that you are free to be kissed when standing under a hung mistletoe. What I didn’t like were the fonts. The general fonts were ok, though not as beautiful as the English version’s but the in-text labels, newspaper excerpts and pinned notes were printed in pretty ugly ones.

Needless to say one can meet HP readers almost everywhere. I generally amuse people by telling them I already read the book at least five times. ;) I still think this is the best HP book so far. I agree Ragnar that the story of book III is more cunning and twisted but what makes book V an excellent one is the moral side. It has so much emotion in it and deals with so important questions of life in a very wise and gripping way that is second to none. Hermione’s simple but all-too-true observations are great. I loved the character of Luna Lovegood and the end-scene with Harry when Luna tells him her stuff is always stolen during the year. The Weasly twins’ way of seeing life I also admired. Simply I think this book is excellent because it draws our attention to things we might overlook during our rushy life. Things that are really important. And all this it does by telling a tale. A tale which is – by the way – marvelously told.